Police question CS Hassan Wario over Team Kenya’s Olympics mess

Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario. PHOTO: FILE

NAIROBI: Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario was Wednesday grilled by police over the Olympics fiasco.

He blamed National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK).

Wario was summoned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters following complaints there were joyriders to the Rio Olympics, stealing of uniforms, inaccurate accreditation and fraud in ticketing.

DCI Ndegwa Muhoro summoned him and asked him to go and help them unraveling the saga.

“The DCI called him to help in starting the probe into the complaints by the athletes at large. He did his part and he is not a suspect,” said a source aware of the probe.

When he arrived at DCI headquarters, he was handed to a team from Serious Crime Unit that is pursuing the matter that took his statement.

Sources said Wario blamed the mess on NOCK officials who were handling the matter.

Among those named and were being sought include Team Kenya’s chef de mission Stephen arap Soi.

Wario told the officers he did not have the list of those who travelled to Rio because the matter was being handled by NOCK.

Soi is also the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) deputy treasurer.

Also being sought was vice NOCK secretary general James Chacha Maroa and NOCK secretary-general F.K. Paul.

There were complaints more than 200 joyriders traveled to the Rio for the just concluded Olympics affecting resources that were meant for the athletes, their coaches and managers.

Some coaches were not accredited and had no access to the training facilities where their services were needed, athletes complained.

The team pursuing the matter will also interrogate a number of athletes as part of their probe.

There were complaints sports kits for athletes were stolen, allowances not paid and the athletes were mistreated in general.

Despite the fiasco, the athletes performed well getting six gold, six silver and one bronze and finished position 15 and first in Africa.

Other sources said sports Principal Secretary Richard Ekai will also give his statement on the saga.

Kenya was officially represented by 52 athletes, three boxers, 14 rugby players, one archery player, two swimmers, one weightlifter and one judoka and 30 members of the technical team.

Others included 14 members of the Steering Committee, 14 from NOCK, seven administrative staff and two officials from Treasury making the total figure 178.

But the list was bloated which is said to have included relatives and friends hitting 250.

President Uhuru Kenyatta his deputy William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga have demanded answers on how the issue was run.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet said the probe on the saga has been ongoing and they were waiting for some of those behind it to arrive for formal grilling.

“The probe has been ongoing and we are for now waiting for some of those NOCK officials to tell us what happened,” he said.